The Classic Liberal Blog

The [Tea Party Movement] TPM is a grassroots, locally-controlled, decentralized and populist movement based on the individual’s natural right to liberty. The key to its success this year is the use of an organizational structure consistent with its mission and philosophy.

Unity is essential to the success of the movement, however, unity at any cost or a unity that is inconsistent with our mission and philosophy will not lead to victory but to self-destruction. That can easily be avoided but can only be avoided by a coalition approach.

There are literally thousands of tea party organizations around the country. It is a vain hope to get them all together in one giant, top-heavy, top-down formal organization funded by mysterious billionaires and headquartered in DC, that den of iniquity. And it’s not necessary either.

There already is in each metropolitan area, region or county, an organic, homegrown, grassroots TPM. We start there, with a firm foundation grounded in reality. That local TPM may consist of one or more organizations. In Western New York, for example, there are several such organizations. There may also be key activists or sympathetic allies in the media who are not affiliated with an organization at all. They are, in effect, organizations unto themselves. They must have a seat at the table. By table, I mean roundtable, a table where all are equal.

Get all the groups and key activists and media people together around a table for the purpose of cooperating, communicating, and coordinating in your area. Call it a tea party coalition. It’s not a new organization displacing the existing ones but merely a way to coordinate the activities of the existing groups. Each group retains its identity, purpose and leadership but gains strength from forming an alliance with like-minded groups and individuals in their area.

Hold a tea party convention in your area. “Area” will differ from place to place but I suggest using the well-established concept of metropolitan area. In some areas, region or county might be a better unit of operation. The purpose of the convention is to select TPM candidates, provide opportunities for members to educate themselves on policy issues, and encourage direct citizen action activities. Invite candidates to the convention to make their case.

Who gets to vote? Each local group would makes its own rules but here’s my suggestion: anyone who signs a brief statement of principles, provides contact information and agrees to donate at least $10 to one of the candidates endorsed and to work for that candidate in some capacity. A list of possible options will be listed for them to check off.

I suggest a short and sweet statement of principles:

• Government exists to protect individual natural rights that existed prior to government such as the rights to life, liberty and private property.
• Government must serve the general interest and not special interests that benefit some at the expense of others.
• The free market is superior to socialism or the “mixed economy.”
• The federal government is limited to exercising enumerated powers and all other powers are reserved for the states and the people.
• The United States are in severe crisis because of their abandonment of these principles.

Read the whole thing here: A Simple Organizational Plan for the Tea Party Movement by James Ostrowski »»